


Wolves Among Lions

by Title_Of_Your_Sex_Tape



Series: What If? [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Arya Stark, Bisexual Sansa Stark, Explicit Sexual Content, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, POV Arya Stark, POV Margaery Tyrell, POV Sansa Stark, POV Tyrion Lannister, Sex, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-01-31 11:19:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18590209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Title_Of_Your_Sex_Tape/pseuds/Title_Of_Your_Sex_Tape
Summary: It's been a month since the Red Wedding. Now, Tywin and the Lannisters focus their plans on the younger Stark sister, who is proving very difficult and uncooperative.The Stark sisters have come to terms that they are now merely political bargaining chips for the Lannisters and the Tyrells to compete for ownership of. While Arya listens to the goings on of King's Landing in the shadows, Sansa tries to keep a low profile to avoid the wrath of the Lannisters, especially Joffery, and develops a secret affair with Margaery.





	1. Lannister Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tyrion is given a new goal by his father - to keep Arya in line. But Tyrion finds himself deeply conflicted.

It was a strange day in King's Landing. The sun was out, the people were happy, but for Tyrion, this day marked an unpleasant experience for him. Every week since Jaime had returned to King's Landing, their father held a meeting for them to discuss allies, enemies, finances, whatever Tywin needed to discuss. But for some reason, Tyrion's refusal to bed Sansa always came up. He had started to run out of witty remarks and jokes. Now, he was simply annoyed. Whenever Tywin talked of Sansa like she was simply a baby maker instead of a human being, it reminded him of how Tywin saw people. Tools to support the Lannisters, or threats to be wiped out. 

Tyrion strolled into the council room, seeing Jaime and Cersei already sitting as usual, with Tywin sitting at the head of the table. Tyrion sat up onto his chair opposite his father.

"No, I have not given Sansa a child. Goodbye." he stated. Jaime gave a slight chuckle. Even Ceresi seemed amused by his remark. Though, she would never allow herself to show it. Tywin, of course, was unamused.

"As much as I enjoy your witticisms, we are not here to discuss Sansa. We're here to discuss her sister." Tywin explained. "Tell me, what do you make of her?"

"Physically, a bit plain. But smart, loyal, a bit headstrong perhaps, but she is a Stark. And she takes after her father more than her sister." Tyrion said honestly.

"She's a bitch." Ceresi hissed.

"Language, sweet sister." Tyrion mocked.

"You have to admit, Tyrion. A bit head strong is an understatement. Arya is... a lot." Jaime interjected before Cersei and Tyrion's verbal sparring escalated. A role he had to take a lot recently.

"We are all in agreement that Arya should marry Tommen." Tywin continued, taking control of the room again. Though then again, he never lost it. Merely lent it to his children. "But that will prove troublesome for many reasons. The first being, as Jaime so elegantly put it, she is a lot. She is an issue my guards are growing tired of dealing with. We cannot mistreat her, as the only chance of making peace with the North is that they know the Lannisters treated the Stark sisters as well as we could under the circumstances."

"Did you think to tell Joffery that?" Tyrion asked, only half joking.

"Arya is a bitch." Ceresi continued. "We should discipline her. And if not, put her down like Ned did Sansa's little pet."

"Have you ever raised a bitch?" Tywin asked bluntly, silencing her daughter. Tyrion was tempted beyond measure to make a joke about Joffery. "You don't raise a loyal and strong bitch by mistreating them. You feed them, train them. Discipline them if needs be, but do it consistently, and their loyalty to you will hang by a thread."

The way Tywin talked of Arya shocked Tyrion. He couldn't tell what it was, but Tywin felt different about Arya, even if he himself wouldn't admit it. There was a look in his eye Tyrion had nearly forgotten. A look he never gave to him, but would often give to his brother and sister when they made him proud.

"Tyrion, your attempts to put a child in Sansa, if you even are attempting such a feat, are to be put on hold. You will deal with Arya." Tywin ordered.

Tyrion gave a quick glance to Ceresi, revelling in the fact that, yet again, Tywin trusted him with an important task over his sister. A feeling that burned Ceresi from within.

"I think all of you are forgetting something." Jaime added. "Arya took the news of the Red Wedding terribly. Even worse than her sister in some respects. She tore a guard's head to pieces when he told her the news. I doubt we will be able to inspire anything other than hatred from her."

"We don't need her to like us." Tywin explained. "We need her to understand that, like it or not, we are responsible for her. And that her life would be a lot better if she showed us the same respect as her sister."

"You think Sansa respects us?" Cersei asked. "That girl despises us."

"As she should." Tyrion said, defending her wife. The other Lannisters looked shocked. Tyrion knew he had crossed a line, but he felt it would be wrong of him not to let that comment stand. "Your son has mistreated her endlessly. You ordered for her direwolf to be killed because Arya's wolf defended her from him. And as far as she's concerned, we had her family killed. Sansa will always despise us."

"But not you." Ceresi spat back.

"Perhaps she should." Tyrion added.

Jaime extended a hand, silently asking Ceresi to stop. Ceresi clearly wanted to yell at Tyrion more, but she decided to let her brother talk.

"Sansa may not like us, but she has yet to show that hatred. She smiles in public, she doesn't say anything against us. Arya just needs to be more like that. She can curse us to seven hells as much as she wants, so long as she does in private." he said.

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?" Tyrion asked. He expected to get no answer. But he had forgotten Tywin was in the room.

"Give her incentive." he ordered. "Give her more freedom, fresh air. I believe she was training to be a swordswoman in secret. Perhaps you could restart her lessons."

"Yes, because what could possibly go wrong with training a girl who can already tear a man's face off with her bare hands how to kill us more effectively." Cersei joked.

"For once, I agree with my sister." Tyrion said, the words making him sick as they left his tongue. "But it does give me an idea."

* * *

 Tyrion stood outside Arya's quarters. He hadn't seen the Stark girl since just before the Red Wedding. Arya hadn't been allowed outside her room since then. Bronn held his sword at the ready as they opened the door. In Tyrion's hand was a sword. But not his. Needle. Arya's sword. It had been confiscated from her when she was first captured after her attempted escape from King's Landing. Tyrion and Bronn entered the room slowly, carefully looking around in case the girl attempted a surprise attack.

"Come on, little girl." Bronn said.

"What did I tell you?" Tyrion quietly asked.

"Don't talk." Bronn stated. Tyrion led Bronn as they went closer to the bed. On the bed, they saw Arya balancing on the end of it. Tyrion looked down and saw a spot of blood at the end of the bed. She must have fallen once and hurt herself. Tyrion saw the cut on her leg bandaged together.

"You should have asked for our healer to look at you." Tyrion said. Arya said nothing. She stared forward, her balance appearing impossible to Tyrion. "I have something for you."

Arya looked down and saw Needle. Her blank stare gave way for a look of child like glee. She jumped down and ran towards it, but Bronn quickly pointed his sword at her.

"Not so fast, little one." Bronn warned. Arya stepped back, fear coming to her eyes. 

"Bronn, again, shut up." Tyrion repeated. He extended his hand, offering Needle to the Stark girl. Arya's gleeful expression did not return. In it's place was mistrust.

"What for?" she asked, a slight growl in her voice.

"A conversation. That's all." he said.

Arya starred at her sword. Tyrion could tell it was more than a weapon to her. Perhaps it was a present from her parents. Or one of her brothers. But from Tyrion heard about her at Winterfell, only one brother liked her enough to get her such a gift.

"It was a present from Jon Snow, wasn't it?" he asked, trying as best as he could to make sure Arya got no sense of mockery from his voice. "It's a little, dangerous thing. A fitting companion for you, I believe."

Arya looked sad all of a sudden. Tyrion quickly regretted his words. Reminding Arya of her family was a mistake. The girl had already been through enough.

"Apologies, my lady." Tyrion said, and made to leave.

"Tell your asshole to leave." Arya requested. Tyrion turned. Arya may be a bitch in Cersei's eyes, but Tyrion saw now that underneath her savage nature, she was a child like any other. He looked to Bronn and nodded. Bronn didn't move.

"If she chops my head off, you can say I told you so." Tyrion joked. Bronn gave Arya a warning glare as he left, one Arya seemed to return. "He likes you. I think. I can never quite read him."

Tyrion extended his arm again, and Arya took her sword back. She removed it from it's scabbard and admired it. She looked as if she had met an old friend.

"No one has touched it until today. It should be the same as when you last held it." He assured her.

Arya put Needle back in her sheath.

"Why?" she asked. Tyrion was right, she was smart. Even more so than he first believed.

"My father has decided your punishment has ended. On the condition that you no longer... act out." Tyrion admitted. 

"Seven hells." Arya replied.

"Arya, as much as I admire your bravery, I think you deserve better than being locked away." Tyrion added, trying to convince the girl to see the bigger picture.

"As if you Lannisters care about what I deserve." Arya spat at him. 

"The other Lannisters do not. I won't deny that. And what I can offer won't make everything that's happened to you fade away." Tyrion admitted. Arya put Needle on her bed and walked away to her cupboard, occupying herself with something to keep Tyrion's voice out of her head.

"I'll give you time to consider it." Tyrion said. "And... I'm sorry."

Arya turned. Tyrion could not read her face. Anger? Sadness? She walked closer to Tyrion. He couldn't help but notice Needle was only arm's length away from her. If she decided to kill him, he could do nothing about it.

"Sorry for what?" she asked bluntly.

"For... what my family has done to you. To your father. Your mother. Your brother." Tyrion said. "And if... if there's anything I can do to-"

"Let me see Sansa again." Arya said.

Her voice said fury, but her eyes said pleading. Tyrion nodded and left her to be alone. As he shut the door, he was sure he heard the start of tears coming from her room. Tyrion tried to tell himself that he was doing this for her. And he was. But he was also doing what his family wanted to better keep her in line. He thought back to how Catelyn had risked everything to protect her children. Despite how she treated him, Tyrion respected her and her actions. He made a silent vow to himself. A vow the gods would hold over his head. Whatever happened to him, he would protect the Stark sisters with his life.


	2. More Than Friends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Arya plays with Needle, she comes across a secret that could change everything for her and her sister. Meanwhile, Sansa receives an unexpected visit from Margaery.

Night at King's Landing brought with it the cool air which reminded Arya of home. She remembered how nights at Winterfell would sting as the wind carved it's way into her skin like a knife through bread.

Arya looked to her sword. She had been playing with it for hours, remembering every lesson Syrio Forel taught her. But none more so than his last words to her.

"What do we say to the god of death?" he had said, holding a broken wooden sword to defend Arya.

"Not today." she replied before running away, not knowing his fate.

Perhaps he was still alive and would break her out of her room. She and Sansa could return to Winterfell and take it from within. But deep down, she knew that Syrio had not survived. She had asked around for Syrio after the shock of her father's death faded into grief. Ceresi simply smiled and laughed at her. Arya knew Cersei had a hand in Syrio's death. She held Needle high and pictured Cersei standing right in front of her.

"What's a bitch like you doing with that tiny little thing?" her voice taunted. Arya pictured her smirk, her arrogant face hiding the fear underneath.

"What do we say to the god of death?" Arya said to herself. She imagined Cersei's fear showing itself as Arya advanced. She would step back and find herself cornered. Nowhere to run. A lioness backed into a corner by the young wolf.

"Not today." She would finish. She would look deep into Cersei's eyes as she lunged her sword into her throat.

Her sword clinged against the stone wall. But it found something. A crack perhaps. One which caught on Needle. Arya pulled on the sword with all her might, but Needle would not be freed. She looked closer at the crack and saw that it was too neat, too fine to be just a crack. It was not damage done to the wall by time or the elements. It was designed to be there. Arya wondered what kind of purpose could it serve. She took her hands off Needle and moved to the crack and felt a draft coming from it. Curiosity took charge as Arya put her fingers into the crack and pulled. Needle clanged as she fell to the ground. Arya pulled back the wall and behind it was a small opening.

Arya kneeled down to look inside. It was dark, but Arya's eyes were accustomed to the dark after sneaking out at night so many times. She looked at the night sky. It must be midnight. The guards didn't check her room until four in the morning. They would attempt to do it silently, but even if Arya wasn't awake to memorize their shifts, they would have woken her anyway. Lannister guards were never bright.

She grabbed Needle, sheathed it, and walked through the passageway on her knees. Her hand on the wall, she walked forward barely a few feet until she felt a sudden opening. Arya looked to her right and saw a map. A very strange map. One she could barely read, in part due to the lack of light. She went back to her room and grabbed a candle. But on her way to the passage, she heard a guard outside. She had forgotten that the shifts changed at midnight. Sometimes, they'd look into the room to check she was there when this happened. She put the candle down and jumped into bed, her head facing away from the door. 

"You're late." a guard said. It was the Hound. One of the few man brave enough to guard Arya's door after her burst of fury and rage made half the guards in King's Landing terrified of her.

"Sorry. Paid for a northern whore and let me tell you, when you pay them to make it last, they really make it last." another guard replied. Arya desperately wanted to cover her ears. She always hated how the guards talked of wives and whores and other men's wives. But she needed to know when the old guard left, so she had to allow the guards to poison her ears.

"What's the big fucking deal with Northern whores? They all look so pale." The Hound asked. Why could they never just shut up and fuck off, Arya thought to herself?

"Ah, that they do, but they suck cock like angels. I bet the girl in there has already taken a few." the second guard continued. Arya was very nearly sick at the thought.

"I'm not so sure. She's a wild one even by the standards of the North. I pity the boys that tried to get between her legs." The Hound said. Not quite as disgusting as the other guard, but Arya's stomach was still uneasy.

"I don't know, I like them wild." the second guard added. The tone of his voice terrified Arya. She held onto Needle tightly, hoping to the gods that he wouldn't enter.

"Don't even think about it." the Hound warned. "Tywin wants her unspoiled until she's married to Tommen. If he finds out you even thought about fucking that girl, he'll make you a unic. And that's if you're lucky."

"Still, a man can dream. I've certainly dreamed about the red headed Stark a fair few times." the second guard continued to test Arya's willpower. 

"I hope she claws your eyes out, you cunt." the Hound said. 

A few moments of silence went by. The new guard did not open Arya's door. Arya took her sword and candle and went back to the passegeway. The map was unlike anything she had seen. It took her several minutes to wrap her head around the map itself. It seemed to be of the castle, but of secret passageways which went through the entire castle. However, the writing and landmarks appeared to be in some kind of code. One Arya had never heard of. There were some letters, some numbers, and some strange symbols that meant nothing to her.

Slightly frustrated and still disturbed by the guard still just outside her door, Arya went back to bed, staring at the wall. Behind it laid her one chance of escaping. She was so tempted to go through it tonight. But she could too easily get lost in there. And even if she made it out the castle, it would mean leaving Sansa behind with the Lannisters. Despite their differences, they were sisters. Arya thought back to one of the last thing's Ned said to her.

The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Sansa was a part of her pack, and Arya wouldn't leave her to the lions.

* * *

Sansa herself was struggling to sleep. Whenever she tried to sleep, she tried to think of happy things. But always her mind would travel to her family. How Ned Stark's head was rotting away in the same castle she was sleeping. How just a month ago, her mother and brother had watched each other die. She thought of Arya, who she had not seen in what felt like years. Her little sister was always so annoying, but all of that seemed like ancient history to her now. She needed to be around family. But the only family near her was locked away. Possibly forever. 

To Sansa's shock, her door opened. She sat up and looked to the door to see a friendly face. Margaery. Sansa let out a sigh of relief as Margaery took the smile on her face as an invitation to sit on her bed.

"How are you, Sansa?" she asked gently.

"Tired." Sansa admitted. She saw that Margaery was in one of her finest dresses. A strange thing to do in the middle of the night.

"Me too. It's been an exhausting few weeks." Margaery shared. "You've not been as social as usual. I figured we could talk in private here about what's bothering you."

"You know what's bothering me." Sansa stated. "Everyone does. No one wants to say anything about it."

"You miss your family. You feel alone in the world." Margaery guessed.

"Yes, of course I do." Sansa admitted, fighting back tears in her eyes.

"You forget. You still have Arya. And a little bird tells me she'll be allowed out of her room soon." Margaery assured her. "And you have me."

"You're not family." Sansa said.

"I could be." Margaery suggested.

"You mean... like a sister?" Sansa asked.

"Perhaps." Margaery answered. Sansa was sure she was implying something else.

"Like... a mother?" Sansa asked. Margaery laughed at her question. She looked deep into Sansa's eyes. It was like being hypnotized. Unable to move, not out of fear, but of something deeper, Sansa froze in place.

"Remember when I told you that some women like pretty girls?" Margaery asked.

Sansa nodded, her eyes still fixed on Margaery's. Her lips went dry, she almost stopped breathing as Margaery seemed to be moving closer to her.

"The love they share is strange. But in some ways, it is pure. More so than between a man and a woman." she continued. "Perhaps I can give you that love. A love strictly between us."

Sansa breathed in heavily, her heart losing control of itself.

"Wha- I...." she tried to find the right words. It took a while, but she eventually settled on a question. One that terrified her. "What if that's not... the kind of love I want?"

Margaery's smile faded a little. Sansa wanted an answer. She needed an answer. Some word to convince Sansa that whatever she was feeling now was not wrong. Margaery did give an answer. Not in words, or a look. But a kiss.

Sansa's eyes shut suddenly as she felt Margaery's warm lips touch hers. Her breathing stopped for just a moment. Her mind raced with emotions and fears, and yet it was empty and blank in the best possible way. As Sansa opened her mouth and felt a tongue lightly play with her own, she forgot that she was married to Tyrion. That a guard or, god forbid, Cersei may burst in on them. All on her mind was Margaery's lips. It was the kind of kiss Sansa thought only existed in fairy tales. True love's first kiss. The kind her brothers and sister mocked her for believing in. Sansa's eyes remained shut for a moment as Margaery's lips came away. When she opened her eyes, Margaery had stood up.

"Think about it." she said. "Goodnight, Sansa."

As the door closed, Sansa fell back into bed. No horrible thoughts plaguing her mind. Just a kiss. 

 


	3. A Feast For The Young Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tywin insists that Arya's first dinner out of her room be with a few guests. Sansa, Margaery, Olenna, Tyrion, and Jaime all sit and eat, while Tywin carefully observes Arya's behaviour. Things go well until an unwanted guest appears.

Tyrion had been in Arya's room for nearly an hour. In 10 minutes, she would sit with Sansa for dinner for the first time in over a month. But her reunion was to be watched carefully. She and Sansa would eat with Tyrion, Tywin, Jaime, Olenna and Margaery. If it went well, Tywin would consider allowing them to stay in the same room. Though Tyrion knew with experience that when Tywin considered something, it was always on his terms. But still, Tyrion believed his father would be true to his word so long as Arya behaved. That was going to be a more difficult task than Tyrion expected. A fact that proved itself as Arya threw another outfit in Tyrion's face.

"I'm not wearing some fancy dress." she barked.

"It's the finest dress of the season. All the popular girl's are wearing them." Tyrion said. Arya's glare was enough to make him realize that she did not want to be a popular girl. "Arya, I have assured my father that you can behave yourself. This is just a simple test. Eat one dinner with a few guests, and you can see your sister more often."

"What if Cersei is there? Or Joffery?" Arya asked, for what must have been the seventh time.

"I have insisted that neither of them join us. It took quite some convincing, I must say." Tyrion assured her. "Oh, and you can't bring Needle with you."

"I wasn't going to." Arya lied.

"I think you should." Bronn joked. Tyrion and Arya forgot he was even in the room. "If anyone tries to steal your food, stab em through the hand. I mastered that when I was only 7."

"Bronn, please save your advice for someone who could use it." Tyrion said. "I know it is a lot to ask. But I think one awkward dinner is a small price to pay for seeing Sansa again."

Arya sat down on the bed, looking down at her hands and feet. Tyrion cautiously walked closer to her.

"Your sister has been... troubled in recent weeks. I think seeing you again will help her a great deal." Tyrion suggested. Arya said nothing. "Wasn't it you who put horse urine in her soup one time?"

"It was Jon's idea. We meant it to be Robb and Theon as well, but we got caught too soon." Arya said, laughing to herself.

"I don't have any horse urine on me, but I'm sure Bronn could fetch us some." Tyrion joked. Arya laughed outwardly this time, showing Tyrion a child like smile.

"That's the best idea you've had since we've met." Bronn said, leaving the room quickly.

"No, Bronn, it was a-" Tyrion started, but he had left before Tyrion could finish. He turned back to Arya, who was still sitting on the bed. She clearly didn't want to go to the dinner, but she felt like she didn't have a choice. The worst part was that she really didn't, and Tyrion couldn't change that.

"Fine." she caved in. "But I'm going as I am."

Tyrion sighed, but he nodded. Arya stood up from the bed and walked out of the room and turned left.

"The other way, Arya." Tyrion corrected.

* * *

Arya never liked being led around. It always made her feel like a pet. In his defense, Tyrion walked side by side with Arya, and talked about many things to distract her. Different trees in the South and North, learning how to swim, how to talk your way out of a bar fight. Something he apparently had become an expert on. Arya imagined there were very few things Tyrion was not an expert on. She would never admit it, but Tyrion was the only good Lannister. She knew that when she heard the guards talking about how he defended her against Joffery. If Arya tried that, she might have been thrown in the dungeons. But now that she had gotten to know him, she saw his reputation was not exclusive to Sansa. Perhaps he took pity on them, which Arya despised. But it was better than how the other Lannisters treated her.

Arya heard the sting of knives against metal and chatter. One of the voices made her face light up. It was Sansa. Before she could turn one last corner. Tyrion stopped her.

"Remember, best behaviour." Tyrion reminded her. "If it helps, whenever my sister would mock me during dinner, I would plan a prank on her to keep myself under control."

Arya took a deep breath and nodded. They walked into the dining room, and Arya saw Sansa. She was sitting at the end of the table next to Margaery. She looked up and saw Arya, her face lighting up the same as her sister for a second. Then she glanced down the table and saw Tywin, and forced her happiness back down. Arya looked towards Tywin and saw cold, piercing eyes staring back at her.

"You're late." he stated, his voice colder than the worst nights of the North. Tyrion walked towards the table and Arya followed closely, sitting opposite her sister and next to the dwarf.

"Apologies, father. I was just telling her about Casterly Rock." Tyrion lied.

"Really? Arya, what did Tyrion tell you about Casterly Rock?" Tywin asked. Arya quickly thought over everything Tyrion had talked of. All she could remember was a story about his learning to swim. 

"He went swimming in the sea to test himself and nearly drowned." she said quickly. Tywin's eyes pierced her very soul. Then, he gave a short laugh.

"As I recall, the guards had to carry him to his bed. It wasn't a difficult task." Tywin stated. Knowing that impressing Tywin would improve her chances of spending more time with Sansa, Arya continued the topic.

"Guards? You needed more than one?" she asked. Tyrion gave her a small glance, one which quickly made her feel guilty. She was often mocked for her small stature, but at least she had a chance of growing. 

"He was so delirious he thought he was still swimming. He was flapping his arms and legs around so much, he nearly knocked out one of the guard's eyes." Tywin explained. The other guests laughed, even Tyrion, so Arya went along with it.

"When I woke up, my swimming instructor told me if my technique was better, I would have." Tyrion joked. Another laugh, but only from Arya this time. As silence fell upon the table, Arya began eating. She looked up at her sister and saw what appeared to be a healing black eye. A pit grew in her stomach, one hunger would not fill. She imagined Joffery striking her, and the thought made her blood boil.

"Sit up straight, girl." a voice said. Arya looked left and caught Tywin's piercing stare again. Giving one of her own back, she sat up as straight as she could. She cut through the meat, not caring what it was, scratched the metal plate as she cut off a piece and, still staring back at Tywin, ate and swallowed it whole. Tywin sighed and returned to his own meal.

"You've been in your room for some time, little one." Olenna said. The tone of her voice angered Arya. There was condescension there. Not quite as vile as Cersei, but it was there all the same.

"Call me little one again, and I'll go back there with your plate." Arya threatened. The clangs of knives and forks against metal stopped suddenly.

"What my mother means is she was wondering if there was anything you wanted to be caught up on?" Margaery cut in. Arya looked at her. She was pretty, no question. The first woman Arya had met who was prettier than Sansa. But behind the eyes was... something. Something Arya couldn't describe. She didn't hate what she saw, or fear it, but there was more to Margaery than she was letting on.

Letting this go for now, she looked across the table, and her eyes caught Jaime's right hand. It was golden and stiff.

"What happened to your hand?" she asked bluntly. Jaime looked tired, as if he had already has to answer this question 50 times.

"I lost it on my way back to King's Landing." he said, focusing on his meal.

"Did Brienne cut it off?" Arya asked.

"No. In fact, it was defending her that cost me my hand." Jaime added.

"You shouldn't have. Whoever she was fighting, she didn't need your help." Arya said.

"That wasn't.. what I was defending her from." he continued.

"Then what?" she asked, though she had already guessed the answer. Jaime took a second to consider answering.

"How old are you? 13, 14?" he checked.

"15." she answered quickly. She was in fact nearly 16, but she didn't want anyone in King's Landing to know that.

"Well, some men wanted to do something to Brienne. Something unpleasant. When I stopped them, they cut off my hand."

Arya knew what unpleasantry he was implying. Against her will, her mind thought of a man trying to force himself on Brienne. But then she imagined her throwing him onto the ground and beating him to death. She looked at Jaime and sensed something different about him. She hadn't seen Jaime much at Winterfell, or elsewhere, but she thought him to be an arrogant man. Especially after finding out that it was Jaime who attacked her father. But the Jaime sitting across the table was changed. Or at least, Arya thought so. She seemed to be doing well so far, so she decided to test the waters.

"Can I ask you something else?" she asked, trying to imitate how her sister would talk amongst lords and boys she liked.

"Of course." 

"If Brienne wasn't bringing you to King's Landing, would you have defended her?"

Arya knew before she said it it was a bold question. But she wasn't quite prepared for the quiet saying it aloud brought. 

"Of course I would have." Jaime answered. "It's in the knight's code to defend the innocent."

"The knight's code is absurd." said a voice that made Arya's blood boil once again. It was Joffery. He wandered in with his usual arrogant strut. Arya wondered if he could make that strut with his legs cut off. He walked up next to Sansa and Arya saw her sister become as small as possible, looking down and her hands shaking ever so slightly.

"If the innocent can't defend themselves, then they should either learn how or be left to die." Joffery bloated. Arya caught a glimpse of her sister's eyes. She was terrified. A feeling that intensified as Joffery rested a hand on Sansa's shoulder. Arya tried to focus on Tyrion's advice, but all the pranks in her head involved her jumping on top of Joffery and clawing his eyes out, or slashing his throat with her knife.

"Even this Stark bitch knows how to defend herself." Joffery said, every word clawing into Arya's mind like a parasite. She focused on cutting an especially tough piece of meat. The knife caught on it, so she cut into it as hard as she could. "Perhaps we should make the Stark sisters fight to the death."

*clang*

Arya pulled on her knife so hard her goblet fell onto the floor. Before she could go to pick it up, a handmaiden went to clean up the water. Arya saw right down her dress. Her tits were enormous, impossibly so. She could only have been Sansa's age, perhaps a year older, but she had the largest tits Arya had ever seen. Larger than she could have imagined.

"Are you still with us, little one?" Olenna said. Arya turned back and saw all the guests were staring at her. Deciding that it would be better to leave now, Arya stood and walked around to Olenna's side, taking her plate from her.

"Where are you going?" Joffery asked venomously.

"To my room." Arya stated.

"It is punishable by death to leave without the king's permission." he warned. An empty warning, but one Arya took advantage of.

"So is hurting my sister." she growled at him. She walked right past him, and he made no move against her. She'd go to sleep relishing the look of fear that covered his face. She was sure that last threat meant she would be locked back in her room, but she didn't care. She made her way back to her room with two guard closely following. Then, just outside her door was Bronn.

"Leave us." Bronn said. The guards left.

"What do you want?" Arya asked. Bronn held out a bottle with a yellowish liquid within.

"Fancy using it?" he asked.

"Do you know where Cersei's chamber is?" she asked back, a devilish grin covering her face.


	4. Sansa's First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Tyrion, Olenna, Cersei and Tywin discuss Arya's behaviour at dinner, Margaery gives Sansa a night she'll never forget.

Tyrion had never known Cersei to be in a worse mood. Even when Tyrion had Myrcella shipped to Dorne, Cersei's anger was more controlled since she could direct it at him. Now, she was angry at everything and everyone. Mainly Arya, but also at Tyrion, Tywin, Olenna, the guards outside, anyone who breathed near her. She hated them all. Someone had managed to throw horse piss into her room. And Tyrion knew who.

"That Stark bitch." Ceresi repeated. She'd been saying those exact three words for several minutes. Over and over she chanted them.

"Yes, we know about the Stark bitch. But are actually going to talk about her?" Olenna said, finally growing tired of Cersei's words.

"What needs to be said? My chambers smell like a stable because of her."

"Do you have proof that Arya is responsible for that?" Tyrion asked.

"And she threatened Joffery." she continued. That was a no. "She threatened the king, my son, your nephew. Do you not think we should do something about that?"

"She was defending her sister." Tyrion said.

"Your children are adorable." Olenna teased, leaning towards Tywin who looked as unphased as ever. Cersei pointed a finger at Olenna, as if about to cast some horrible curse on her.

"You shouldn't be here. This is Lannister business." she croaked.

"Cersei, calm yourself. Or I will do it for you." Tywin ordered. Cersei sat down, sighing heavily as she did so. "Now, I think we can all agree that the Stark girl threatening the king is never to happen again."

Tyrion and Cersei nodded.

"But... she was much more sociable than before. I think the punishment has done its job. So long as she keeps her good behaviour up, I see no reason not to allow her a few certain freedoms."

Cersei scoffed at this, but Tywin took no notice.

"She will be allowed one hour with Sansa a day, and one sword lesson a week. Jaime will be her instructer to make sure she doesn't learn anything we don't know about. And Tyrion, make sure the girl has better clothes."

"I tried. She doesn't want to wear any dresses." Tyrion explained. Olenna smiled at this fact. She clearly liked Arya, even though she stole her food without a second thought. Though perhaps that was one of the reasons why she liked her.

"Then get her some clothes she will wear. I have some of Loras' old clothes I think should fit her." she added. "If she wants to dress like a boy, at least she can dress like a boy with a sense of style rather than a homeless orphan."

"Listen to you lot." Cersei spat. "You almost sound like we've adopted her. Shall we rename her Arya Lannister?"

"There must always be a Stark in Winterfell." Tywin stated, stopping Cersei instantly. "There is a reason that saying has lasted almost as long as the Stark's themselves. The Starks have always been the most loved and powerful family in the North. They are a family of great fighters, honorable men, and fertile women. Sansa has the makings of a great woman, Arya a great fighter and, if we play our cards carefully, a good woman. One day, they will reclaim Winterfell for themselves and their husbands. And their children will continue the legacy of the Starks. All because the Lannisters took care of what remained of House Stark after the Red Wedding. However we treat the Starks will go down in the history books and paint a picture of our family for generations to come. For good or for ill. Think on that before you throw Arya in the dungeon for a prank she may not even be responsible for."

That for Tyrion confirmed his theory. Tywin cared about Arya as much as he cared about his own children. Granted, he never treated Jaime or Cersei perfectly, but this was still good news for Arya. Arya threatened the king, Tywin's grandson, and yet he defended her. Tyrion didn't know how far Tywin's feelings for Arya would go, but it did mean Arya was safe for now. So long as she didn't do anything stupid.

* * *

It was nearly nightfall, and Sansa watched as the sun set in the distance, it's light painting the sea a wonderful mixture of orange, yellow and red. Sansa had never seen a sunset this beautiful at Winterfell. The sunsets were the only thing she would miss if she left King's Landing. The sinking feeling that she may never see the sun set back in Winterfell again soon fell upon her. It was still warm, yet Sansa shivered like it was winter. Perhaps she was trying to make herself think she was back home. The door creaked and Sansa turned suddenly, her heart racing as it always did when the door was opened without a knock. When she saw it was Margaery, she breathed a sigh of relief. Margaery's smile made her feel warm again. Tonight, Margaery was in her undergarments as well. Sansa couldn't help but notice that they left little to the imagination. Sansa was sure she could see her nipples through the fabric.

"Your sister is quite the character." she stated. "I can see why you two didn't always get along."

Sansa didn't reply. The feeling of Joffery so close to her was still making her feel uneasy. She went to sit on the bed to collect herself.

"Perhaps we can take her out to see King's Landing." Margaery suggested. "There has to be somewhere here that even Arya would like to see."

"The blacksmith." Sansa said quickly. "She always used to sneak out at night and watch the smith's work and my mother would always tell her never to do that again."

"I'll have to ask Loras if he knows any good smith's in the area. Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Margaery asked.

Sansa had forgotten she invited Margaery here just after dinner. She froze for a moment, remembering why she had invited her. The thoughts that had been running through Sansa's mind, the dreams she had since Margaery kissed her split her soul in two. They filled her with immense doubt and... a strange kind of happiness. Happiness she felt in her head, her heart, her stomach and even further down. She bit her tongue and decided to be brave. Brave like her little sister. If Arya could threaten the king and get away with it, surely she could ask Margaery a simple question.

"When you said you could... give me love like... like women share. What did you mean?" she asked, not even attempting to hide the fear in her voice. Margaery seemed to have predicted her question would be about this.

"Well.. we would do what mother's and father's do, but with each other." she explained. "We would walk together, share our thoughts."

As she continued, her fingers gently explored up Sansa's arms. She felt goosebumps across her entire body, but Margaery's fingers made her skin tingle wherever she touched it.

"We would touch each other. Kiss each other." she continued. Her fingers made her way up to Sansa's neck, gently bringing her chin a bit upward so they were staring into each other's eyes. Again, Sansa felt the hypnotizing effect of Margaery's gorgeous eyes.

"Make love." she finished. 

"but.. how would we.." Sansa said weakly. She could barely breathe, the excitement of whatever was coming next filling her quicker than she could process. "I mean... we don't... we don't have...."

"Cocks?" Margaery asked. Sansa gave a small laugh. How silly of her. About to kiss a woman and she couldn't even say a simple bad word.

"Yeah." she continued.

"You don't need a cock to make love." Margaery assured. She moved in, Sansa anticipating her lips on hers once again. But then she remembered something.

"But.. the guard-" Sansa started, but Margaery gently put her finger over Sansa's mouth.

"I've sent him to speak to my grandmother. She'll keep him busy." she assured again. Now, Sansa had no words.

And again, she felt Margaery's warm lips touch hers. But now, she felt her tongue immediately. Margaery gently put her hands on Sansa's head and neck, pulling her close for a deep embrace.

"I've never done this before." Sansa let out in between kisses. Her inexperience didn't stop her from putting her hands around Margaery, feeling up and down her smooth back as Margaery battled her tongue in the most wonderful way.

"Then let me teach you." she said. "First, remove my clothes."

Sansa froze again. Margaery pulled back from the kiss, and upon seeing Sansa's hesitation, let her hands over her nightgown. She helped Sansa untie it from the front and it gracefully fell to the floor. Sansa felt herself stop breathing. The sight of Margaery's naked body was one even the Gods were not worthy of. Sansa felt incredible just looking upon her wonderful, nude flesh. 

"Second, I remove yours." she continued. Sansa's breathing suddenly returned, heavier than ever. Margaery led her to stand up as she gently removed Sansa's nightgown. Sansa felt like a common maid standing in front of Margaery. But Margaery did not seem to agree.

"You're a vision, Sansa." she said. Sansa felt warm hands on her stomach, her back, even on her tits. Then Margaery's skilled tongue returned to her mouth. Sansa's knees suddenly felt weak, and she leaned back into the bed. Margaery followed, lying on top of her, their naked bodies wrapped around each other as their tongues did the same.

"In Highgarden-" Margaery started, only saying a few words in between kisses. "-we call men who love men sword swallowers, and- women who love- women, shield eaters. ... Do you know why?"

"No." Sansa admitted. Margaery pulled away from the kiss, and Sansa looked up at her, feeling powerless in the best way possible.

"Spread your legs, and I'll show you." she said. In no mood to argue, Sansa spread her legs as wide as was comfortable. Margaery kissed her way down Sansa's sensitive body. Shivers made their way up Sansa's spine. She had no idea what would happen as she felt Margaery's lips upon her nipples, then her stomach, and then-

Sansa nearly screamed. Margaery's tongue touched her pussy only slightly, but the sensation was beyond anything Sansa could describe. And then she kept going. And going. And Sansa moaned as Margaery Tyrell, future Queen of Westeros and husband of the most vile man alive, lovingly, slowly and skillfully brought Sansa to her first ever orgasm. As Sansa's muscles tightened and relaxed and tightened again, she commited this feeling to memory. If her lungs were working properly, the whole castle would have heard her scream Margaery's name as her climax consumed her. But Margaery was not done there. As she brought her fingers to Sansa's pussy, Sansa started to feel ecstasy and bliss mixed into a feeling that had no name. 

"... Margaery..." was all she could say. In a slow, deep whisper. Again and again as Margary made love to her well into the night.


	5. The Biggest Library In The South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya convinces Tyrion to take her to the library of King's Landing, where she plans to take a book about codes and secret languages. But she'll have to do it without anyone noticing.

Arya had been sitting by her bed for nearly an hour now. She was looking at the wall which hid her best chance of escape. If only she could understand the code of the map. The North never had any need for codes, so Arya only knew about them in a very abstract sense. She knew she couldn't ask anyone about it, since that would immediately arouse suspicion. Tyrion and Tywin both had a reputation for being smart, and Tyrion especially was well known for reading. Perhaps she could use the maze of tunnels to get into his room. But it was too big a risk that she would get lost in there. 

Arya never considered herself a great thinker, but she wasn't a simpleton either. If she wanted to learn something, no force in Westeros or beyond could stop her. She was going to learn the code on the map. She just needed the right book. But she didn't even know where to start. It could be a fairly popular code, or it could be something no one has heard of aside from whoever made it.

Before she could think more on how bleak her chances were, Tyrion entered her bedroom.

"Arya?" he asked, sounding concerned.

"What?" she asked back, not really interested in what he had to say. Tyrion walked around the bed and saw her sitting like a grumpy child.

"Comfortable?" he joked.

"Very." she joked back, matching his tone. Even when she was sitting down, Tyrion wasn't much taller than her.

"I have good news." he started. "My father has ended your punishment. And I figured I could take you somewhere."

Arya looked up at Tyrion. She knew he meant well, but she still struggled to see the appeal of his offer. Tyrion was good company, but she knew they would be followed by several guards and Bronn at the very least. Arya was warming up to Bronn after he helped her exact small revenge on Cersei, but the guards always made Arya feel uneasy. Tyrion could sense Arya's hesitation.

"Anywhere you want." he offered. That gave Arya an idea.

"The library." she replied quickly. "The big one down by the bay."

Tyrion gave Arya a funny look. 

"I never figured you as a lover of literature." Tyrion judged. 

"I'm not." Arya said. Technically, not a lie. "I just want something better to read than Great Maidens of King's Landing Vol 2."

"Yes, that volume is particularly dry." Tyrion joked. "The library it is."

Arya knew this was a big risk. If she was caught, she'd be locked in her room for another month. Perhaps more than that. But that map was her only shot of escaping King's Landing. She needed to figure out the code that marked it's paper. Whatever the risk, in Arya's eyes they were worth taking.

* * *

 

"... Margaery..." Sansa had said last night. Whispered. Moaned. Even screamed.

Margaery couldn't help but think back to how she took Sansa's virginity. A part of her felt slightly guilty. That she was leading Sansa on. Tempting her with a life that neither of them could realistically have. The risks were too high. If they were caught, there was no telling what torture Joffery would inflict upon the both of them. But she could not deny that it felt wonderful to be with a woman as young and innocent as Sansa. The look in Sansa's eyes after they had fucked was one Margaery would never forget. Sansa often looked blank in public, almost like a puppet, so anything that made her happy was a blessing. Margaery knew that if she visited Sansa more regularly, word would spread through the guards. And that word might reach the ears of someone with authority. But she knew that she needed to see that look in her eyes again.

"Margaery?" her mother said. Margaery turned. Olenna was pouring her own wine. Clearly the maiden's and servants in King's Landing were not up to her standard. "Are you with me?"

"Yes, mother. Apologies." Margaery said. Olenna scoffed at her words.

"Apologies, apologies. No need to apologize to me. I know where your mind is." Olenna observed. 

Margaery did not respond. In part because the answer would cause her mild embarrassment. But also because she knew that Olenna could always read her like a book.

"The guard you sent to bore me last night. He was supposed to be guarding Sansa." she continued. "I trust you educated Sansa about her womanhood."

Again, Margaery gave no response. Olenna sighed.

"Did you fuck her out of strategy or love?" Olenna asked bluntly.

"Mother!" Margaery replied, shocked by the mere idea of sleeping Sansa simply to earn favor.

"Love then." Olenna deduced. "Margaery, I know I can't stop you from sharing her bed. But promise you'll be careful-"

"I will." Margaery said back quickly.

"-and make sure you don't toy with the girl's feelings." Olenna continued. Margaery nodded, trying to pretend that Olenna's warning didn't haunt her. Sansa was so young, so new to love, especially the love they now shared. If her heart were to break, Margaery could never live with herself afterwards.

"Now, let's talk about the other Stark girl." Olenna said, getting to the topic she wanted to discuss. "Have you visited her?"

"No." Margaery replied.

"I don't mean fucked, I mean visited." Olenna corrected. Margaery finally calmed herself and removed Sansa from her thoughts. If only for a short time.

"Again, no." she said.

"Then may I suggest you get to know her more." Olenna said.

"I'm taking her and Sansa to see King's Landing." Margaery revealed. Olenna sighed approvingly.

"That's good. But I was thinking more that you could educate her." Olenna continued.

"About?" Margaery asked.

"About exactly what you've been teaching Sansa." Olenna explained. That caught Margaery off guard.

"Are you serious?" Margaery yelled. She very rarely disagreed with her mother like this.

"Please think with your mind instead of your legs, Margaery." Olenna advised. "She may not know it yet, but she's a growing woman. You saw the way she looked at you. And I've never seen a man stare at a pair of tits like she did. This makes her vulnerable. Talk to her, make sure she knows these new feelings are not to be ignored or repressed."

"Out of strategy or love?" Margaery repeated. Olenna smiled with pride at her.

"You are good, Margaery." Olenna complimented. "Both, since you ask. That girl has a fire in her, but another one is about to spark in her. Make sure she knows how to balance them both."

Margaery sighed, and nodded. She couldn't disagree with anything Olenna had said. But there was still one problem. If Margaery did teach Arya in these matters, word of this would reach Sansa's ears. And Margaery wanted to make sure it was from her lips. 

* * *

Nothing. Not a goddamn thing about codes. Or maps. Or anything Arya needed. The biggest library of the south, as Tyrion loved to say, was mostly records of the history of King's Landing. But Arya couldn't back out now. She was here, she may as well keep looking and hope that somewhere in this maze was something useful. Tyrion, to his credit, knew that Arya had no interest in King's Landing itself. So he took her to find books about famous battles and fables involving knights, dragons and monsters. Arya feigned interest in these books, but in truth, she was growing more and more tired of this place. The bookcases were taller than her bedroom, so if Tyrion wanted a book that was high up, he had to get Bronn to climb a ladder and get it for him. And Bronn would always take his sweet fucking time. Probably because he wanted Arya and Tyrion to be as bored as he was.

"No, to your right." Tyrion ordered. "You do know which side that is, don't you?"

Arya sighed and buried her head in her lap. Her gamble had backfired. No question. She'd rather be cleaning Joffrey's socks than stuck watching two tired old men bicker at each other in an old library. Bronn reached to his right, but his clumsy nature led to several books falling to the floor. Tyrion cursed under his breath and went to pick them up. It was then Arya realized that neither Tyrion nor Bronn had looked at her for several minutes. She slowly stepped back so she could look down the aisle. A few rows down, she saw a section marked with strange lettering. Arya recognized the last character. It was a part of the map. 

She looked back to Tyrion and Bronn. Neither of them were looking at her. Deciding that waiting would increase the chances of being caught, she ran as silently as a kitten to the aisle and quickly looked over the books. They were all massive. Too big to hide on her person. She didn't have much time. She tried to find the smallest book, but they were all too big for her to carry, let alone hide in her clothes. Then, she saw a strange book. It was tiny, barely bigger than Arya's hand. There was no title, just a brown cover with strange markings. Arya's instincts told her to grab it and run. 

"For fuck's sake, Bronn, do you want us to be in this library for ever?" Tyrion complained down the hall.

No time to waste. Arya took the small book and ran back to the others. Bronn had only just gotten off the ladder.

"No, but I would so enjoy trapping you here and letting you starve to death." Bronn replied.

"Charming as ever. I think we should call it a day." Tyrion suggested. Arya nodded, the brown book in her makeshift pocket.

As they made their way outside, the sun was setting. They must have been in there several hours. Arya tried to keep a smile from showing on the way home. For the first time, Arya felt like the Lannister's grip on her wasn't as tight as either of them believed.

"I hope you found what you wanted." Tyrion said.


	6. A Pup In A Maze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya uses the tunnels to find Sansa's room so they can talk without being spied on by the guards - but along the way she sees something she shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um.... so that was a long gap between chapters......sorry.

The creak of the door was now a familiar sound to Arya. She knew just by how much it creaked which guard was now on duty. Tonight, exactly at midnight, the door opened suddenly, but creaked for barely a second. It was the Hound. Good news for Arya's plans. He was a cunt, but he was a cunt who knew not to open her room at completely random times.

Arya watched the moonlight penetrate the clouds for a few minutes, waiting patiently until she was certain the Hound was stood alone. She could almost hear him breathing through the door. Or perhaps that was just her own breath. It was deep and raspy. She was finally going to go into that passageway. The idea that it may one day lead to her escape was one thing. But the fact that this meant she had a chance of being able to be with her sister without any Lannisters spying on them... she almost couldn't believe it. She feared that perhaps she'd pull on the crack on the wall only to find it was just a crack. That the map was simply a dream, or a fantasy she had given herself to distract from the horror that her life had become.

She sneaked from her bed to the table, taking the candle and lighting it as silently as possible. Then, her lungs barely working from fear that the maze would prove a false invention of the mind, she pulled back the wall.

To her immense relief, the maze door was still there. She crawled her way back into the maze and sat by the map, looking up and down from it to the code book which had become like a dear friend. While it appeared complex, the code itself was quite simple: move each letter once to the right, turn each number to a letter and then move that letter twice to the left. It only took Arya ten minutes to be able to read the map well enough to know roughly where Sansa's bedroom would be. She was in the taller tower opposite Arya's, so first, she had to make her way down to the lower floors. She saw the way up and down the maze was done with ladders. Seemed simple enough.

Unfortunately, those ladders were in the tightest parts of the maze. Arya had to squeeze her way down the ladder, her back scratching against the rough wall. She was sure she was bleeding by the time she reached the bottom. Taking a moment to let the pain subside, she carried forward and found another map, which confirmed she was in the right direction. She carried on forward, catching glances of strange little slats, through which she could see private rooms of the castle. She spotted a few kitchens, several maid and servent quaters. And, to her utter horror, the place where the guards would hire some whores to enjoy themselves. She ran past that room as quick as she can, though the screams of the women and the voices of the guards, she would probably have nightmares about that night.

She soon found another map, which showed her the ladder to Sansa's room was a few turns away, and it would take her past the Queen's personal quarters. Arya saw this ladder tunnel was just as tight as before, but the wall was a bit smoother. Nethertheless, it rubbed painfully against Arya's back as she climbed upwards, counting the floors until the sixth floor, where she would find her sisters chambers. Towards the fourth floor, she smelled a distinct odor of horse piss. Despite the unpleasant stench, Arya grinned. She was glad her prank had worked even better than she expected. Feeling curious, she decided to follow the smell. It got even worse as she approached, but she didn't mind. She hoped to find Cersei unable to sleep due to the smell. It wasn't quite the same as slitting her throat, but it would satisfy Arya for now. She saw another little window and peered through. 

And what she saw almost made her vomit. Cersei was in her bed. Naked from what Arya could tell. And sleeping underneath her was Jaime. She had to pull herself away from the slat and cover her mouth as she fought down a hurling sound. She had heard a few rumors, of course, but Arya assumed they were just bad jokes. She knew the Lannisters were horrible, but even she never imagined they could reach this kind of depravity. She tried to force the image out of her head, but she couldn't help but picture Cersei and Jaime fucking, creating another Joffery. Perhaps one even worse.

'I'm going to meet Sansa. I'm going to meet Sansa.' she thought to herself. With yet even more nightmares building in the depths of her mind, Arya went back to the ladder. She no longer cared about the pain on her back. She needed to see her sister again, without the watchful eye of the Lannisters or the Tyrell's peering over them.

Still trying to fight away the disturbing image that had by now firmly planted seeds in her mind, Arya continued past the window. She was in such a rush, she stepped on the window, making a slight clanging sound. Arya herself could barely hear it, and Cersei seemed deep asleep, so she assumed the noise went unnoticed and moved on. She found the ladder and climbed up. It was the tightest part of the tunnels yet, but Arya powered through, spurred on by the thought of being with Sansa without spies reporting to Tywin or Cersei. 

She found a small metal grate between her and the bedroom. It took most of Arya's strength to open it, but when she did, she saw her sister sleeping soundly on the bed. Arya looked to the door. She couldn't hear anyone, and there was no light that she could see. Perhaps Sansa didn't have guards outside her chamber. Deciding to be cautious for now, Arya glided onto Sansa's bed and firmly planted her hand over her mouth. Sansa shook suddenly, and Arya held her hand down. When Sansa recognized her stranger little sibling, she stopped. Arya removed her hand, and Sansa sat up.

There were no words between them. For the first time in her life, Arya was happy to be alone with her sister. Sansa quickly wrapped her arms around her, crying tears of relief onto her shoulders. The Stark sisters were truly reunited.


End file.
